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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23249932">Liar</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamJoinedtheReconCorps/pseuds/SamJoinedtheReconCorps'>SamJoinedtheReconCorps</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Flame in the Shadows [18]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Critical Role (Web Series)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anxiety, Discussions of Mind Control, Lies, Light Angst, M/M, Political Intrigue, Regret, Worry, post ep 90, spoilers for ep 97</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-21</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 16:01:15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,607</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23249932</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SamJoinedtheReconCorps/pseuds/SamJoinedtheReconCorps</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Essek finally sees the Mighty Nein after they return from Rexxentrum.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Essek Thelyss/Caleb Widogast</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Flame in the Shadows [18]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1648909</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>142</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Liar</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>so I was planning on posting this yesterday but after spending the day playing video games with my sister (agent a and pokemon mystery dungeon, both so so so so so much fun) i finished this fic like at at 2 in the morning and I didn't get a chance to reread it so here I finally is!!!</p>
<p>I really hope you guys like it! This fic was a lot of fun to write but also left me SHOOK like damn man Essek's really in it now</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It took Essek almost an hour before he finally made his way over to the Xhorhaus, immediately knocking on the door to announce his presence.</p>
<p>“Who is it?” someone called out from within - Veth, from the sound of it.</p>
<p>Essek ran a quick hand throw his hair, trying to seem as presentable as possible. “It’s the Shadowhand.”</p>
<p>The door opens, the tinkling of the bells a welcome sound at this point. He glides inside, immediately looking around at everyone - with Yasha among them to his pleasant surprise. “Well, ah, you all look well -” he pauses, noticing Fjord in a pristine white bathrobe. “Sorry, if it is the wrong time, I can come back -”</p>
<p>“No - it's not real,” Fjord begins to explain, gesturing to his attire. “I -” he pats himself down, and there’s a disconnect between the sound that the fabric <em> should </em> make and the sound that it <em> does </em> make, giving credence to his words. “It’s - ah -”</p>
<p>“Well, now I feel bad,” Caleb sighs, waving a hand.</p>
<p>Fjord’s form shimmers, revealing his regular leather armor and trousers underneath. He shakes his head rather fondly despite it all.</p>
<p>“Well played,” Essek laughs. An amusing use of illusory magic, and it makes Essek oddly warm to see Caleb playing those kinds of tricks on his friends. It lightens the man, makes the dark clouds that are always brewing behind his eyes recede slightly - but even now, despite that lightness, Essk can see a change in him. He can only hope it was a change for the better. “So -”</p>
<p>“Are you okay, Essek?” Jester suddenly asks, cutting him off.</p>
<p>“Um, ah, yes,” he answers, caught off guard. But he’s answering honestly - he’s okay, now that they’re back.</p>
<p>“Everything okay here in, ah, Rosohna?” Veth adds.</p>
<p>Essek gives a small nod. “Um, well, everything is, is alright, I suppose. Um…” He shrugs, barely moving his shoulders. “The-the assault on Rexxentrum, ah, that orchestrated over the past few weeks, um, was set upon the city until, um, the arrival of a Tal’Doreian dignitary came and invoked your name within the Bastion. I take it you know this individual?”</p>
<p>“Allura,” both Jester and Beauregard say at the same time.</p>
<p>“Right,” Essek nods. “And, ah, she corroborated your concerns regarding the, ah, Angel of Irons cult, and, ah, based on that, and based on my backing up your word as well,” he admitted, “the Bright Queen recalled the attack on Rexxentrum.”</p>
<p>He didn’t miss the way Caleb looked at him curiously when he said he’d backed them up as well.</p>
<p>“Why had the attack been launched in the first place?” Veth asked.</p>
<p>“Well,” and here he treads on dangerous ground. “It was believed that perhaps this missing beacon of which I’d sent you to seek itself was somewhere within the city, and the attack was sent to, ah, draw attention away from the district in where it was initially placed.” He looks away. “Um, this was all orchestrated by Taskhand Adeen Tasithar, of Den Tasithar, who was pushing for this timing to coincide with the lull following this harvest festival.” He clasps his hands tightly together underneath his mantle. “Since then, ah, we’ve investigated Adeen, found him already halfway across the Ghostlands on his own, shrouded and seeming to attempt escape.”</p>
<p>“Wait, what?” Veth frowns.</p>
<p>Jester gasps, “He was part of the - the Angel of Irons cult, he was part of it!”</p>
<p>“We ambushed and retrieved him, and have spent the better part of the past day interrogating him,” Essek tells them.</p>
<p>“Oh, wait, wait -” Veth starts, but Jester jumps in, looking up at Essek worriedly.</p>
<p>“Is that why you look so sleepy?” she asks.</p>
<p>Essek feels himself flush. He had hoped his exhaustion wouldn’t be that noticeable. “There’s been a lot of work to be done, yes.”</p>
<p>“So he - was he the source of the intelligence that the, the beacon was in Rexxentrum to begin with?” Veth finishes.</p>
<p>“Well, it appears, as you say, that Adeen was part of this cult, the Angel of Irons, and, ah, was working directly with someone within the Empire,” Essek gets out, trying to keep his nervousness at bay. “In his chambers we found traces of these pink crystals, they were part of these, ah, devices - the one that you had first brought before the Bright Queen, and, ah, we managed to push him to confess that he had a correspondence with this Vence figure that you had spoke of, and this Obann that you are chasing.”</p>
<p>Beauregard - who now wears the raiments of Expositor - frowns. “Oh, he’s Obann the Punished now. He kinda had a change in position and title.”</p>
<p>“And then a nice, good squelching,” Jester finished.</p>
<p>“Yeah, he’s kinda, like, dead now,” Beauregard clarified. “Or, I guess, like, eternally fucked? Eternally fucked.”</p>
<p>“So, you’ve managed to - to exact your vengeance, then?” Essek asks.</p>
<p>“We have,” Fjord confirms.</p>
<p>“That’s - that’s great news,” Essek gets out, and he means it. It's one less enemy the Mighty Nein have to worry about.</p>
<p>“Took a while, sorry about that,” Veth apologizes. “But we did it.”</p>
<p>“It’s alright, big things like this do take time,” Essek assures.</p>
<p>“I mean, we didn’t, like, you know, end everything with the cult, I’m sure,” Jester adds. “But a big huge part of it.”</p>
<p>“And - and this Vence is also on the run, now,” Caduceus informs him. “On the other side of the, ah, conflict.”</p>
<p>“You should also know we uncovered a shackle, one of the things keeping the Chained Oblivion at bay,” Fjord says.</p>
<p>“This is what this Allura had said to the Bright Queen, and had, ah, made the request for this temporary ceasefire,” Essek nods. “Also, as you had inferred to me, ah, this other individual that may have been working within our midst to provide the beacons to the Empire - Adeen also…” And here comes the lie, the perfect scapegoat for his own misdeeds. “Ah, confessed to secretly trading away these beacons.” He can’t even look them in the eye as he hears multiple gasps from the group. “And -”</p>
<p>“They must have been very high up in the hierarchy to have access to these things,” Veth gets out.</p>
<p>“He was,” Essek replies quickly.</p>
<p>“And why haven’t we heard of him before, if that’s the case?” Beauregard asks. “How did we miss this guy?”</p>
<p>“There are many dens - you’ve only encountered but a few,” Essek easily deflects.</p>
<p>“How long have you had him in custody for questioning?” Caleb finally speaks up. He’s watching Essek carefully.</p>
<p>“Ah, two days,” Essek answers.</p>
<p>“Any idea of - hello,” Caleb gets in, mid conversation after Essek has already been there for some time, a late greeting, a personal one, and Essek feels simultaneously warm and despicable at the same time.</p>
<p>He’s a filthy fucking liar - he doesn’t deserve such a personal touch from Caleb.</p>
<p>After Essek gives him a small nod, Caleb finishes, “Any idea of a-accomplices?”</p>
<p>“We are working on that at the moment,” Essek says, dropping Caleb’s gaze. “Ah, he is currently imprisoned, and is being held awaiting judgement from the Bright Queen. Once we have exhausted our interrogations and find no more purpose, that is where he will go.”</p>
<p>“Traded away beacons?” Fjord asks.</p>
<p>Essek can’t even bring himself to say anything, merely nodding quietly.</p>
<p>“What did he get in return?” Jester follows up.</p>
<p>“That is, ah, something we are currently seeking,” Essek whispers. He feels awful, terrible, and it's such a new feeling, a feeling he wishes he’d never gotten to know. Finding his voice a little better, he continues, “It would seem perhaps access to this Empire figure, perhaps something to do with the cult itself. We are not sure.”</p>
<p>“Which Empire figure? Vence?” Beauregard asks.</p>
<p>“Possibly,” Essek tells her.</p>
<p>“And do you know how many beacons, or just one?” Fjord says, insistent on the beacons and it makes Essek’s hands shake where he holds them beneath his mantle.</p>
<p>“No, the two that we were originally,” there’s the smallest pause before Essek finally finishes, “missing.”</p>
<p>“Fuck,” Fjord curses.</p>
<p>“That is going to be a conversation,” Caduceus comments.</p>
<p>“I have not yet informed the queen of these findings, as this was a recent -” he searches for the right word, not wanting to betray himself but struggling to continue lying to them. “Acquisition.”</p>
<p>“You’ve had him for two days though?” Jester asks, and behind her Beauregard watches him with a hint of suspicion.</p>
<p>“We’ve had him for two days, but we’ve only recently been able to get this information out of him,” Essek answers, and that’s not exactly a lie.</p>
<p>Jester’s “Whoooa” is cut short as Beauregard says, “So, sh-she doesn’t even -”</p>
<p>“She’s about to,” Essek quickly finishes for her, giving her a tight smile.</p>
<p>“Well -” Caduceus starts, looking around the group.</p>
<p>Veth speaks up, “We have some information for her as well. Maybe we should lay it all on her at once?”</p>
<p>“We have a lot of information,” Caduceus confirms.</p>
<p>“<em> Ja, </em>” Caleb agrees.</p>
<p>“Very well,” Essek nods. “Ah, when are you ready to speak to her?”</p>
<p>“I mean -” Jester begins, but this time Fjord cuts her off after meeting Beauregard’s gaze.</p>
<p>“Is there any reason why you haven’t told her yet?” Fjord asks. “Are you trying to confirm or gather, or?”</p>
<p>And, gods, the ice is thin and it keeps getting thinner the longer he treads on it around them. “I was - if you’re going to, in a point of extreme tensions in warfare in which the queen is impatiently waiting for any sort of,” he pauses, gathering his thoughts as best as he can. “Concrete proof as to why the ceasefire was necessary, we wanted to make sure that we presented it as an entire package, as opposed to piecemeal. It is better, and, mm, also we need to cross our T’s as well, in the instance that perhaps any of this information is incorrect.”</p>
<p>“You’ve done very, very well by us,” Fjord says suddenly, and it catches Essek off guard. “Would you care to hear what we would have to say now, so it doesn’t catch you by surprise?”</p>
<p>“Please,” Essek gets out, and he hopes he doesn’t give himself away with how quickly he says it.</p>
<p>Fjord looks around at the group, at Beauregard in particular, before he continues, “We can confirm that the Empire does indeed have one of these beacons. We’ve seen it.”</p>
<p>“Mm,” Essek hums, and he already knows this - but they don’t know that he knows. “Whereabouts is it located?”</p>
<p>“Up…?” Jester says, looking towards Caleb.</p>
<p>“North of Rexxentrum,” Beauregard continues.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Caleb quietly answers. “Outside of the city.”</p>
<p>“We don’t know the exact location, they kind of <em> teleported </em> us there,” Jester tells him.</p>
<p>“Right,” Essek breathes out. And he has to keep the charade going. “Is it a place that can be accessed perhaps? Maybe via purple worm?”</p>
<p>“Yes, but we may not need to,” Veth assures him. “They’ve agreed to give it back.”</p>
<p>“In exchange for what?” and now that is new information to Essek.</p>
<p>“Peace talks,” Jester replies.</p>
<p>“A meeting,” Veth reiterates.</p>
<p>Caleb shifts where he stands, seeming uncomfortable. “Supposedly to perhaps ease tensions between the two nations. And we are as skeptical as you seem to be now, but it still seemed like an opportunity.”</p>
<p>“Indeed,” Essek nods, mind racing. “Curious what it is they want, or what it is we’re not seeing here, but if it stems the spilling of blood for the time being, it should at least be entertained.” And, yes, this - this is a viable route, the <em> best </em> route, to be done with this all at once. “Hopefully.”</p>
<p>“We have suggested to them a - a neutral location, neither here nor there,” Caleb continues. “Um, just so that no one would unduly have the upper hand. Um, we are cautious, though, and are loath to bring, ah, any danger here.” He sighs, looking away. “It seems like a difficult path still, but, um, we would like <em> you </em>, and the queen, to entertain the idea of-of easing tensions here.” He meets Essek’s gaze again. “I know how, um, hard line she seems to be, and - and it is not unfounded, we understand.”</p>
<p>“She has seen a lot of bloodshed in her years,” Essek confirms. “And I understand where she’s coming from. But -” and he’s reeling, the end now so close, so, <em> so </em> close for him to have his freedom back. “I think it’s worth a conversation. Mind you, for such a negotiation, there would be no personal appearance by her. It would have to be proxies and emissaries, and - and probably speak via mirror or some sort of, ah, distance conversation or point at the place. At least these negotiations, if agreed upon, these transferences could take place.”</p>
<p>“Like a <em> sending </em> stone talking to another <em> sending </em> stone?” Jester asks, picking up a novel she had sitting on the couch and holding it up. Veth does the same with another book, facing them towards each other. “Like that?”</p>
<p>“I assume that is something of a similar thing as the mirrors, but probably,” Essek shrugs, unsure if <em> sending </em> stones could be used in that way. He notices the books they’re holding, something titled <em> Tusk Love </em> and <em> Zemnian Nights </em> - and he assumes given the cover art that they’re some kind of erotica. “I’m not judging,” Essek gets out, and he certainly isn’t surprised, although he finds that a little jarring given all the inner turmoil he currently faces.</p>
<p>“You mentioned crossing your T’s,” Fjord says, going back to what Essek had said. “Um, I wonder if perhaps - would it be foolish of us to think that an audience might be had with your prisoner?”</p>
<p>Essek thinks on that, unsure how that might turn out.</p>
<p>“We were firsthand with more of these Angel of Irons cultists. I wonder how they might react to knowing that, um, prominent figures have been dealt with, done, squandered,” Fjord finished.</p>
<p>“Uh, that could probably be done,” Essek admits, and maybe, just maybe, that might be beneficial for him as well. “I have to pull some strings, but it could - it would need to be just a -”</p>
<p>Jester gasps again, turning to Fjord. “Oh my god, you know what else we could do?”</p>
<p>“What?” Veth asks.</p>
<p>“Oh my god, okay, okay, okay - what if -” Jester starts.</p>
<p>“There’s a 50/50 chance this is ridiculous,” Fjord muses, but he’s smiling lightly, and Beauregard even stifles a laugh. A small smile curls on Caleb’s lips.</p>
<p>Now Jester turns to Essek. “What if one of us can make ourselves look like Vence?”</p>
<p>Veth nods. “Uh huh, uh huh.”</p>
<p>“Like we’ve been caught, and you could throw him in the cell next to your guy, and like, leave them alone a little bit, so that they could talk to each other,” Jester suggests. “Maybe get some more information.”</p>
<p>“Interesting,” Essek allows himself to say, pondering how that might turn out as well.</p>
<p>“Do we know how Vence talks?” Veth follows up.</p>
<p>“We saw him in that vision once, and he was talking to like, um, a <em> sending </em> stone,” Beauregard reminds them.</p>
<p>Essek nods, deciding it can’t hurt. “We can certainly try, but we have to do it soon. He’s supposed to be given over for, um -”</p>
<p>“Or, or, I mean, if your - your guy has talked to Obann maybe one of us could make ourselves look like Obann,” Jester adds. “We know what he talks like.”</p>
<p>“That is also possible,” Essek agrees.</p>
<p>“How would Obann go down in the jail? In the cell?” Fjord asks.</p>
<p>Jester frowns, crossing her arms. “That’s true, that’s stupid.”</p>
<p>“He wouldn’t be thrown in jail, but Vence - Vence is a good idea,” Veth assures her.</p>
<p>“The first idea is sound,” Caleb nods.</p>
<p>“That’s - that’s pretty good,” Caduceus smiles, and Jester brightens considerably.</p>
<p>Veth runs a hand along her neck. “Make it - make it so that it looks like his throat has been slashed and he’s raspy.”</p>
<p>“Oh, that’s true,” Jester says, mimicking a raspy voice and clutching her throat.</p>
<p>“It would be much easier to bring one person into the prison than seven,” Essek reminds them, looking around at the group. They nod in agreement. “So who would be the one to make this attempt?”</p>
<p>“I mean, I can change how I-I appear,” Veth volunteers.</p>
<p>Both Caleb and Jester point at Fjord. “Probably - Fjord is really good at sounding like other people,” Jester says.</p>
<p>Veth nods. “I mean, that would’ve been my second choice, yes, Fjord.”</p>
<p>“It has been your specialty in the past?” Essek asks.</p>
<p>Fjord gives a reluctant nod. “It - yes, yeah.”</p>
<p>Beauregard cracks her knuckles. “I could always come in and punch him in the face, too -”</p>
<p>“Trust me, there’s been plenty of punching for two days, I do not think that you would maybe, ah,” Essek trails off, remembering the way Tasithar spat up blood onto the floor of his cell.</p>
<p>“But do they have magical punches that make people talk?” Beauregard asks.</p>
<p>“We have magical means of forcing the truth, if that’s what you’re talking about,” Essek answers, but now he has more reason to be nervous about Beauregard. If she can punch him and force the truth from him...that can easily spell disaster.</p>
<p>“Fuck, whatever, yeah, let’s do this plan,” Beauregard says, crossing her arms.</p>
<p>“That was a good plan,” Veth smiles.</p>
<p>“Yeah - I need to know everything about Vence,” Fjord tells them. “Where - what does he, how tall is he, what did he look like, what did he sound like?”</p>
<p>At Caleb’s suggestion, Jester <em> disguises </em> herself as Vence, showing Fjord exactly what he looks like.</p>
<p>“This is what I look like, my name is Vence, I’m an idiot, I am a cultist and stuff,” Jester says, pitching her voice slightly deeper. “I don’t actually sound like this.”</p>
<p>Fjord looks Jester-Vence over, taking him in. “That’s nice,” he smiles. He turns to Caleb. “Did he have a Zemnian accent?”</p>
<p><em> “Ja </em>,” Caleb confirms.</p>
<p>“He is,” Fjord nods, and Essek can see how he catalogues that information, making a mental note.</p>
<p>“And his boss is, ah - ah, Ludinus,” Beauregard adds.</p>
<p>Essek stiffens. Ludinus - was <em> he </em> involved in the Angel of Irons cult?</p>
<p>“If you are to attempt this, I would recommend doing it soon,” Essek repeats. “Because, um, the longer this information remains unspoken to the Bright Queen, as well as your own concerns -”</p>
<p>“We should do it right away,” Jester says.</p>
<p>“- the, ah, the more tenuous this ceasefire becomes. The forces that were withdrawn from Rexxentrum are still beneath it. They did not return,” Essek tells them, and he knows that this is more information than he’s allowed to give, but after all the lies, he feels like all he <em> can </em> do is tell them more.</p>
<p>“Oh, shit,” Fjord gapes, as Jester gasps again.</p>
<p>“They are just awaiting word to continue,” Essek finishes.</p>
<p>“Yeah, they’re still in place,” Fjord says, running a nervous hand through his hair.</p>
<p>Jester looks around at the group, eyes wide. “They’re still there.”</p>
<p>Fjord sighs, “Yeah, they’re waiting to strike.”</p>
<p>“The purple worms are still under the city!” Jester exclaims.</p>
<p>Despite the information, Fjord returns to the plan at hand. “The Taskhand, when he was ambushed and taken, was he given reason for his capture? Does he know that an operation was thwarted, that they were onto him, or?”</p>
<p>“All of this has been given, ah - um, elements of it, to attempt to force them to fill in the blanks, to prove our, ah,” Essek explains, “curiosity and, um, let them prove that they were involved.”</p>
<p>“Has he done the normal thing of holding his tongue, or has he been forthcoming, do you know?” Fjord asks.</p>
<p>“Long threatening to not know what we’re talking about, and, ah, demanding to be released,” Essek answers, choosing his words carefully. “But upon, ah, magical inquiries, forcing of one’s will, and through physical, ah, persuasion, we managed to excise the truth, and the Taskhand has, ah, given his hand, if you will.”</p>
<p>They lapse into a quick conversation of what else to prepare before going to interrogate Tasithar, with Jester offering magic of divine nature, and Caleb volunteering to help Fjord’s luck. </p>
<p>As they continue talking, he holds his copper wire in his hand, creating the glyph and focusing on one of the wardens of the prison. “<em> Please move the prisoner to one of the binary paired cells. The interrogation is to continue. </em>”</p>
<p>“<em> Right away, Shadowhand </em>,” the warden replies.</p>
<p>He turns to the group. “So, are you ready?”</p>
<p>“S- yeah,” Fjord says.</p>
<p>“Do you want anyone to go with you invisible or anything?” Veth asks.</p>
<p>“I would not recommend that, there are wards against invisibility within the Dungeon of Penance,” Essek informs them. “You would be revealed upon entry, and it would not aid you in that instance.”</p>
<p>“Understood,” Veth nods.</p>
<p>“Will it - will it show that he’s <em> disguising </em> himself?” Jester continues, motioning towards Fjord. “Will that break?”</p>
<p>“It shouldn’t,” Essek answers, looking at Fjord. “I can provide a buffer as we pass through.”</p>
<p>“Okay, good, good, good, good, good,” Jester says under her breath.</p>
<p>“We should travel, ah, with him to the prison’s entrance,” Caleb suggests.</p>
<p>“Up until like - yeah, yeah, yeah,” Jester agrees. “Up until where he won’t see us, and then he’ll go on alone.”</p>
<p>“Very well,” Essek nods. “So you are coming with to the exterior of the dungeon?”</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Caleb answers.</p>
<p>“Yes - this is exciting,” Veth grinned.</p>
<p>“How long - once you get to the dungeon, how long to get into the cell?” Jester asked.</p>
<p>“Mm, five minutes,” Essek shrugged.</p>
<p>“Okay, okay, good,” Jester nodded.</p>
<p>“Then come quickly - let’s do this now,” Essek says, turning away and heading for the door, listening as they all fall into step behind him.</p>
<hr/>
<p>It didn’t take long for them to arrive at the Dungeon of Penance, where Essek held out a hand for them to stop. He turns to Fjord, slowly reaching out and grabbing a hold of his shoulders, focusing on the magic that surrounds the Dungeon of Penance and on the safeguards that he has against them, and siphoning some of that energy into Fjord.</p>
<p>He looks down at Fjord’s hands. “Can you provide perhaps any sort of visual of irons or chains?”</p>
<p>“Sure,” Fjord answers, and his visage shifts, turning into the blonde human form of Vence before he digs through his bag of holding, pulling out a set of manacles and putting them on.</p>
<p>Jester approaches, putting her hands on the side of Fjord’s face and casting a spell, something that’ll help Fjord in his trickery.</p>
<p>“And some injury to your throat, maybe, so that you - your voice -” Veth suggests.</p>
<p>“Yeah, make it look like you were, like, cut and - or punched, like, bruised or something, like you were strangled, so it makes sense that,” Jester adds, putting a hand to her throat. “You don’t sound exactly like yourself.”</p>
<p>Fjord nods. “Yeah, okay, yeah.” He runs a hand along his neck, and suddenly a jagged scab, like a terrible rope burn that’s healing very poorly appears there.</p>
<p>Caleb motions to Fjord. “Fjord, come.” He takes out a pearl, placing it to Fjord-Vence’s forehead as soon as he steps closer.</p>
<p>Essek recognizes the spell - <em> Fortune’s Favor </em>. His face warms as he remembers that first lesson, hesitant and careful and yet so, so full of potential.</p>
<p>As soon as Caleb finishes his casting, Fjord blinks, as if in a daze.</p>
<p>“And Fjord,” Veth says. “If you do well in there, I’ll give you a button.”</p>
<p>“A button?” Fjord asks, sounding hesitant, waiting for the catch.</p>
<p>Nodding, Veth repeats, “A button - but it's not just any button. It was discovered on Buttonbeard’s ship.”</p>
<p>Jester gasps, looking excitedly between Fjord and Veth, and Essek knows he’s missing something, some kind of inside joke they’ve created after being together for so long. It makes him hope that one day he’ll have those kinds of jokes too.</p>
<p>“That’s all the inspiration I need,” Fjord-Vence grins as the others laugh lightly. “Truly a - a grand gesture, Nott. Thank you.”</p>
<p>Essek gives them a fond smile, watching the way Caleb’s eyes soften as he watches his friends before Essek straightens, reaching over and grabbing the chain attached to the manacles Fjord is wearing. “Very well,” he gives the chain a slight tug, motioning for Fjord to fall into place beside him.</p>
<p>They all shout wishes of good luck before they step inside, and by the way that Fjord falters beside him Essek is sure that the magic has taken an effect, disorienting and dizzying all at once.</p>
<p>“How long will I have?” Fjord whispers to him. He’s looking down, trying to play the part of prisoner and not meeting his eyes as they walk.</p>
<p>“Well, I don’t know,” Essek answers honestly, facing forward as he leads them towards the cells that were prepared for the interrogation. “It has been a very thorough investigation, and whatever information you might get could be filled with lies, it could be that they are confused. Um, just don’t make it too forceful as to gather attention that would make this a curiosity.” He gives Fjord a brief glance out of the corner of his eye. “This is off the books, as you would say.”</p>
<p>Fjord gives him a small nod. “Black bag - like it.”</p>
<p>They finish their walk in silence, descending a few floors before they finally arrive at the binary cells. Essek makes sure Fjord-Vence passes by directly in front of Tasithar’s cell before he tosses Fjord-Vence inside, making a show of it. Essek holds his tongue, wanting to apologize to his friend, but instead he turns away, drifting into the shadows. The guard placed to watch Tasithar’s cell discreetly follows, giving Fjord and Tasithar a semblance of privacy.</p>
<p>“You can’t keep me in here!” Fjord-Vence shouts after him, in a rather good Zemnian accent.</p>
<p>Silence falls among the cells save for some muffled shuffling - then Fjord greets Tasithar. “Angel’s eyes.”</p>
<p>And Tasithar falls into much of the same as the interrogations - he knows he did things but he doesn’t know how or why, he knows people, knows Vence, but he doesn’t know how or why. Nothing new to be gleaned.</p>
<p>Then Fjord asks, “Were your deliveries successful?” and Essek instantly knows what he’s talking about as ice cold dread runs down his spine.</p>
<p>“I don’t know why I did what I did,” Tasithar gets out. “It doesn’t make any sense.” There’s the soft thud of a body falling to the floor, and then the sound of muffled sobs.</p>
<p>Fjord allows for a few minutes of silence to stretch on before he whispers, “What were you given in exchange for the beacons?”</p>
<p><em> Nothing </em> , Essek thinks bitterly. <em> Nothing other than a war I cared nothing about. Nothing but blood on my hands when all I ever wanted was knowledge </em>.</p>
<p>The sobbing continues for a long, long time, before in between hiccuping breaths Tasithar gasps, “It doesn’t - I would never, I would <em> never </em> give away the heart of our city.” He sounds as if he’s choking. “But I did - for money, why? Nothing makes sense - nothing makes sense.” There’s the unmistakable sound of flesh hitting concrete. “Nothing - makes - sense.” And then, silence.</p>
<p>“Hey,” Fjord says quietly. “Hey, Taskhand, you with us?” He tries a few more times before he shuffles towards the bars of the cell, motioning for the guard. “Hey, guard, come here - come here.”</p>
<p>All the guard does is give him an odd look.</p>
<p>“I can’t see - I can’t, I can’t see him. Is - is he passed out?” Fjord asks.</p>
<p>Hearing that and knowing that the guard won’t answer, Essek turns towards Fjord, raising an eyebrow and hoping it’ll mask everything he’s feeling.</p>
<p>Fjord gestures towards the cell next to his. “I mean, I just - I’m worried about prisoner welfare, it sounded like he was hurting himself. I’m just making sure he’s alive.”</p>
<p>Essek drifts over, peeking into the cell and finding Tasithar slumped over in his cell, snoring softly. Fresh blood drips out of the cut on his forehead that he reopened when he apparently bludgeoned himself to unconsciousness. “He’s asleep,” Essek tells Fjord, averting his gaze from Tasithar. He wonders if that’s how he’ll be if he ever...he doesn’t allow himself to finish the thought.</p>
<p>“Ah,” Fjord nods. “Oh, that’s good. Thank you for quieting my concerns.” There’s a beat of awkward silence before Fjord-Vence looks at him. “Uh - you know, I think I would like to confess some of my crimes. Perhaps, I can do that to someone of a high station - I’m ready to leave.”</p>
<p>“Very well,” Essek says, moving to unlock the door before retaking the chain that hangs from Fjord’s manacles, tugging on it to lead him out of the cell and through the prison.</p>
<p>“Oh - you bastard! You’re so strong.” Fjord shouts, still in character. “Come on, pull harder,” Fjord whispers.</p>
<p>“Shh,” Essek shushes, not looking at him. “You’re overselling it.”</p>
<p>“You’ll never take me alive!” Fjord cries out.</p>
<p>Essek resists the urge to shake his head. “You’re overselling it.”</p>
<p>“You floating fuck!” Fjord yells.</p>
<p>In but an instant Essek wheels around, looking right at Fjord. “What was that?”</p>
<p>“No - I-I take it back, I’m sorry,” Fjord squeaks.</p>
<p>“Don’t oversell it,” Essek repeats, leading him along, and while that may have struck a raw nerve weeks ago, now he actually feels like this may be a story some day - the way Fjord swallowed his words as soon as Essek turned on him, like a deer in <em> dancing lights </em>.</p>
<p>“It’s so weird in here,” Fjord whispers after a while.</p>
<p>“By design, friend, by design,” Essek answers, taking him through to the exit where the rest of their friends wait - and if Essek ushers them through a little quicker than usual, well, Fjord would just think it was an effect of the prison, after all.</p>
<hr/>
<p>As soon as Essek emerges from the Dungeon of Penance with Vence-Fjord in tow, Jester and Nott begin cheering.</p>
<p>“Yeah, he’s back! You did it!” Jester shouts. “What’d you find out? All the stuff?”<br/>“Well, I totally didn’t forget to ask what he traded for the beacon delivery, thank god,” Fjord answers, starting to remove the manacles from his hands once Essek lets go of the chain.</p>
<p>Caduceus nods. “Well, that’s good, that’s good - that would’ve been an important question to ask.”</p>
<p>“He seemed to be quite disoriented and, ah,” Essek starts.</p>
<p>“Fjord or the other guy?” Nott asks.</p>
<p>“The other guy,” Essek replies, looking away with a frown. “I was worried about that.”</p>
<p>“Uh, I don’t think he chose to do what he did,” Fjord tells them. “Uh, it sounds like he was under some sort of control, mind control.” He looks around at all of them. “Is that a real thing?”</p>
<p>Jester gives him an incredulous look, motioning towards Yasha. “Yasha!”<br/>“Yasha was mind controlled, we <em>think</em>,” Nott says, eyeing Yasha suspiciously.</p>
<p>“Yes, Nott,” Yasha sighs, absolutely exasperated.</p>
<p>“But, but did you - you knew that it was not you doing those things, right?” Fjord asks her. “Or was it confusing at times?”</p>
<p>Looking extremely uncomfortable, Yasha answers, “Yeah, it was very confusing at times, but I mean, I knew that I was - I-I was a puppet. I mean, it, it f- I didn’t have control over the things that I was doing, but I knew I was doing them.”</p>
<p>“It could very well be a similar type effect,” Essek considers.</p>
<p>“I wonder if Vence was also a puppet,” Beau adds, looking towards Fjord who still looks like Vence.</p>
<p>“But you knew the source, yeah?” Caleb says to her, referring to Obann.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” Yasha confirms.</p>
<p>“Imagine if you didn’t know the source,” Caduceus finishes Caleb’s thought.</p>
<p>“He’s - he acted as if he didn’t know why he did these things, or why he seemed to have taken money for the delivery of the beacons. He didn’t know why he did that,” Fjord informs them. He grimaces. “And then he smashed his face against a wall several times.”</p>
<p>“No,” Jester frowns.</p>
<p>Fjord doesn’t miss a beat. “He’s dead now, um -”</p>
<p>“What?” Yasha gets out, stunned at the news.</p>
<p>“Yeah, it's just a horrible tragedy, um,” Fjord comments.</p>
<p>“Oh, fuck,” Beau says, and she sounds torn between amused and serious.</p>
<p>Caduceus gives Fjord a sharp look, and Fjord sighs, “No, he’s alive. Um - he seemed genuinely confused. He seemed to recognize,” he gestures to himself. “Vence’s face, and also the greeting, angel’s eyes.”</p>
<p>“Angel’s eye?” Jester corrects.</p>
<p>“Yep,” Fjord nods. “Did I - I might have made it plural, in the room, which is - might have been what the look was for,” he admits. “Why add an S? I don’t know.”</p>
<p>“It was, you know, your first time playing that character,” Yasha assures him. “Some things are gonna slip.”</p>
<p>Fjord agrees. “Yeah, I mean, honestly, I didn’t get a rehearsal or anything. Just, actor’s nightmare - straight out on, yep.”</p>
<p>“You have to make strong choices,” Caleb teases.</p>
<p>“Imagine if you were told not to think about what you did,” Caduceus adds, bringing them all back to the seriousness of the conversation.</p>
<p>“I mean, is memory modification a thing that happens?” Fjord asks.</p>
<p>Caleb looks away, closing his eyes briefly.</p>
<p>“Yeah,” he hears Jester answer.</p>
<p>“It is?” Fjord repeats.</p>
<p>When he opens his eyes, he sees Jester nodding. “Yeah, I mean, I can do it.”</p>
<p>“I can - well,” Caduceus starts, giving it some thought. “I can do stuff like that.”</p>
<p>“What do you mean?” Fjord presses.</p>
<p>“Like, I could make you think that something different happened than happened,” Jester explains.</p>
<p>“It sounds very similar to what Yasha went through,” Beau muses.</p>
<p>Fjord’s eyes narrow, still on Jester. “All the time, or just once?”</p>
<p>Jester barely gets a word in before Essek cuts in. “It is a very dangerous magic for someone to be playing with,” he says, giving Jester a guarded look.</p>
<p>“I haven’t ever played with it - I know that it’s, you know, important,” Jester tells him.</p>
<p>“Speaking of which, y-your abilities are very strange - compared to the Empire, I mean, just being in here,” Fjord points to the prison, “is sort of nauseating. Does the beacon or your practices allow of anyone to control the mind of someone else in that way?”</p>
<p>“Ah, dunamancy does not work in that way,” Essek answers, and Caleb breathes a sigh of relief he didn’t realize he’d been holding. “There are many sorts of magic and, ah, arcane spells that can alter one’s experience of memory - from what I’ve heard. But that does not fall within the purview of dunamancy, by any means.”</p>
<p>Fjord turns back to the prison. “I mean, it's no short spell. He would’ve had to have been under control for a while - gain access to the beacons, make these exchanges, deliver them.”</p>
<p>“This is true,” Essek nods.</p>
<p>“To be fair, he would’ve been the fourth person that we knew that was under a constant, long-standing control within this cult,” Caduceus reminds them.</p>
<p>“Yasha, the Taskhand,” Fjord begins to count off.</p>
<p>“The Laughing Hand,” Caduceus adds.</p>
<p>Fjord nods. “The Laughing Hand, and the Inevitable End.”</p>
<p>“Who knows with people like Vence or Cardinal Respa,” Beau sighs. “Or maybe anyone.”</p>
<p>“Oh my god, what if they were all under a spell?” Jester gasps.</p>
<p>“Ah - we’ve already learned from what we’ve researched with the Chained Oblivion that he was guised under this cult of the Angel of Irons. It seems more righteous than what it is,” Beau shrugs. “It’s all manipulative to get him to rise under some other form of a deity that’s false, so his entire -”</p>
<p>“Goal is to bring about absolute destruction of everything, so I would imagine, yeah,” Caleb gets out. He realizes his fingers are digging into his arms, and forces himself to shove them into his pockets.</p>
<p>“It is sound logic,” Essek agrees.</p>
<p>“Do you have a mark on the back of your neck? Did it leave a scar, or, um, ah -” Fjord asks Yasha.</p>
<p>“Oh yeah, the thing!” Jester exclaims. “Can I look - can I look and see?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, give it a look,” Yasha grants, lifting up her dark sheet of hair that covers the back of her neck.</p>
<p>Caleb peeks over and catches a glimpse of a faint mark, like an old burn scar that’s close to healing completely.</p>
<p>“Essek, Essek, Essek! Come here,” Jester calls out, motioning him over. “Look at this, look at this mark.” She points it out, looking up at him. “You should see, and see if - see if that guy has the same mark, and then you know that he was mind controlled. Maybe it's the same.”</p>
<p>He nods, looking over the mark carefully. “I will inspect,” he tells them, looking towards the prison. “Give me a moment.”</p>
<p>“If it was not his choice, you know - I know it's hard, but maybe he shouldn’t be punished quite as harshly, because, you know…” Jester trails off.</p>
<p>“That is not for my judgement to make,” Essek says.</p>
<p>“Maybe he - well if, I don’t know, i-if, if there’s an emergency, I - I th- I could also speak to him i-i-in a different way,” Yasha stutters out. “From someone who h-has had a similar experience to him.” She swallows hard. “If violence is not working, to, ah, get the answers that you need, um, maybe I could try relating to him.”</p>
<p>“Well, we - we have the answers we need,” Essek starts, giving them a curious look. “But what answers are you looking for with this?”</p>
<p>“Well, ah, maybe - I don’t know, who was doing this? I-I don’t know,” Yasha gets out. “I wonder if Obann got -”</p>
<p>“Yeah, sure,” Fjord nods. “Just in case it's somebody besides Obann.”</p>
<p>“That’s true, or if he had any more connections here,” Jester adds.</p>
<p>“Maybe Obann was like, one of several generals for the Chained Oblivion, you know? In, like, a pyramid scheme,” Beau theorizes. “So if it wasn’t Obann that mind controlled him, then who was it?”</p>
<p>“It was probably Obann that mind controlled him, I think,” Caduceus shrugs. Beau agrees as Caduceus continues, “I think the question really is, if he knows that he was mind controlled, maybe he can start saying to talk to anybody else.”</p>
<p>Beau turns to Essek. “Well, let’s have Essek look at the back of his neck, that’ll be first thing. And then we’ll get more answers from that.”</p>
<p>And then Fjord begins to tease Jester about Sprinkle, just to lighten the mood a bit, but Caleb can’t let it go, not when he feels the phantom touch of nonexistent memories pull on his sanity like a loose thread ready to unravel everything.</p>
<p>“Let, let Essek check, and then perhaps, if it turns up what we fear it does, then a new line of questions is in order - not why have you betrayed your people, but how long have you been experiencing this, ah, do you remember meeting anyone, do you remember a trigger?” Caleb suggests - because Caleb knows his trigger, knows who he met that made him question his reality and then taught him how to burn it all down.</p>
<p>“Yeah, if - if, I don’t know, if there’s any other answers you guys need,” Yasha shrugs.</p>
<p>Essek gives her a small nod, already making his way back into the Dungeon of Penance. Caleb watches him go, and he swears, he swears Essek holds his gaze for a second, and he sees something he is so intimately, heartbreakingly familiar with reflected in Essek’s eyes.</p>
<p>He sees regret. </p>
<p>But then Essek’s gone, and Caleb stares resolutely at the ground, pushing away every thought and memory of Ikithon tearing his mind to shreds before halfheartedly joining the group in teasing Jester about Sprinkle, all while they wait for Essek to return.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this fic took a good amount of time because I had to transcribe sooooo much, so I have hellllla material, and i'm excited to get to the next few fics because gang we're getting sooo close its going to get angsty as FUCK so be prepared !!</p>
<p>but yeah, Essek and Caleb are straight up not having a good time, for different reasons, and man gang this breaks me i'm so sad for them :((( I just want them to be happy</p>
<p>well, I really hope you guys liked it!! I'll see you guys as soon as I can, please stay safe!!</p>
<p>this fic was inspired by:<br/>Bathhouses and Bastions | Critical Role | Campaign 2, Episode 90 - 2:18:50 - 3:04:45</p></blockquote></div></div>
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